Japan Crate Review: A Delightful Journey Through Japanese Snacks with the Valentine Crate

February 14 marks an important date in romantic relationships; it's a day for significant others to show their love through gifts, activities, and other symbols of affection. This holiday is celebrated worldwide in various manners, including in Japan, where the women give a gift to their partner and significant males. Typically, women in Japan gift men chocolates for Valentine's Day. Don't worry; the men reciprocate with gifts and goodies on March 14, also known as White Day.

With this Japan Crate review, you'll learn why a Japanese snack subscription box is the perfect gift to celebrate this holiday. Now, you can spend less time planning your holiday gift and more time with your partner for February 14!

Introduction: Exploring the World of Japanese Snack Subscription Boxes

Japanese snack subscription boxes are a newer offering that first started appearing around the mid-2010s. Even though these snack boxes have been around for under ten years, they have become a popular way to enjoy Japanese snacks while learning about the culture. During the past few years, when travel has been more challenging (or restricted), these tasty boxes offered a way for people to visit Japan without getting on a plane. Since then, many have joined these subscriptions to join in Japanese culture through food.

One of the top Japanese snack subscription services is Japan Crate, a monthly subscription offering delightful sweets, yummy savory snacks, a fun collectible, exciting prizes, and a color pamphlet with information on every treat inside the box. Each box arrives with an assortment of treats (17-20 items total!). This Japanese subscription box has a new monthly theme, so expect the next box to have a unique batch of goodies.

Japan Crate: A Window into Japanese Culture Through Snacks

The snacks in Japan Crate come directly from Japan, allowing you to experience Japanese culture. As you may know, food is a large part of any country's culture. By learning about what types of foods are available, like seasonal offerings, you can learn quite a bit about a country and its people. Additionally, Japan is well-known for using foods specific to regions/areas as inspiration for snacks/sweets. These Japanese-inspired flavors allow you to get to know the culture even more. Of course, the box themes also help teach you about the culture, as many are centered around Japanese holidays. 

For example, last year's Valentine's Day crate (The Box of Love) featured a Nyan of Love figurine. This adorable cat is said to bring good luck to whoever owns it. Since it arrived in the box, it offers the opportunity for receivers to dive deeper into this figurine's history and learn why it's considered a lucky object. 

Of course, one of the best parts about digging into Japan Crate is exploring the various snacks you receive. This previous Valentine's box included Koikeya salted potato chips, Hokkaido Cream Chocolate, and Fettuccine Italian Grape Gummy. This variety offers an example of the vast array of snack items you can expect in each box.

Unboxing the January Crate: First Impressions and Review

Regarding the Japan Crate review, you'll find more details about what you can expect in this tasty snack box below. The January crate, also known as the Box of Love 2.0 crate, is centered around love and celebrating Valentine's Day. The packaging is fun, pink, sprinkled with hearts, and depicts different images connected to February 14, like Valentine's Day texts, omamori (good luck amulets), doves, arrows, and more. From the start, this snack box is an exciting experience with stunning packaging. 

Once you open this Japan Crate, you'll see an array of brightly colored snacks, drinks, and treats. They range from pink/red packaging to pink snacks and goodies. All the different treats are related to celebrating your loved ones during this holiday of love, making it a perfect gift for significant others, friends, and family to show appreciation for them.

The Box of Love Crate: A Special Valentine's Edition by Japan Crate 

So, what can you expect in this Valentine's crate? Besides a Valentine's Day-themed design, you can also expect a mix of sweet and savory goodies. You'll find items like Japanese Kit Kats, gum, crackers, chips, chewy candy, and more inside this January Japan Crate. This selection of treats is curated to help you celebrate the holiday with loved ones of your choosing.

With a combination of salty, creamy, sweet, and tangy, this Japan Crate will help satisfy all snack cravings. Here are more details on the Japan Crate review for this Valentine's-themed box.

The box features unique decor influenced by Japan romance style, with lucky love charms, shrines, and more. Additionally, this box offers an extra opportunity to earn more prizes after taking a short quiz to find out what kind of Valentine you are. The best part about this monthly subscription box is that each box comes with full-sized treats! 

Engaging Fun and Culture: The Gamification and Exclusive Omamori Bonus in Japan Crate

Another part of the Japan Crate experience that makes it unique is the collectible item inside each box. This month's collectible is a limited edition omamori, featuring the Japan Crate logo on one side and a kanji (Chinese characters) that translates to "love". This adorable love charm also features a Valentine's-themed design with pink and red hearts. Simply keep this omamori on you and watch the Japanese love luck unfold in your daily life. It's easy to carry this item with you, as you can attach it to a lunch box, backpack, purse, etc. Or, simply tuck it into your pocket and go about your day.

As mentioned in the Japan Crate review, you'll also find an exciting gamification to help you win additional prizes. This Valentine's Japan Crate has a booklet with a scanable QR code. Aim your phone's camera at the code, and you'll be directed to a custom quiz to help you find out "What type of valentine are you?". Once you take the quiz, you'll have the option to win some exciting prizes from Japan.

Previous customers have left various kind words in their Japan Crate review, including how they love the assortment of snacks in each. Many customers also enjoy the surprise of opening the box, as the treats are always unexpected and fun. Other reviews included praise for the mixture of quality chocolate treats and savory snacks.

While Tokyo Treats, another Japanese subscription service, offers some similar box themes as Japan Crate, you'll find a larger variety when ordering Japan Crate. Additionally, you can gear your Japan Crate subscription to your preferences. For example, you can select the Umai Crate subscription box, which includes seasonal noodles and Japan-exclusive items. Tokyo Treat also does not offer plushies, stationery, or other curated goodies that aren't snack-related.

Regarding previous themes for Japan Crate, expect to see options like Rainy Season, Study Time, Halloween, and Autumn Cookout. Don't forget to check out the other Japan Crate subscriptions, including Doki Doki (cute plushies and apparel) and Inku (fun stationary), for more gift ideas. You can purchase these subscriptions (including Umai Crate) through the Japan Crate site. Don't be afraid to try multiple crates! 

Perfect Gift Ideas: Why Japan Crate Makes an Awesome Gift

Hunting for the perfect gift for a girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner is always tricky, especially for holidays. However, you can never go wrong with snacks and treats, especially since food is the way to the heart! That's why Japan Crate is a great gift for any occasion. It allows your loved ones to enjoy tasty, unique treats they likely wouldn't find anywhere else. These items allow loved ones to explore Japan and its culture through snacking, drinking, and collectible items. If your loved ones fall under the categories of snack lovers, fans of Japanese culture, or general foodies, this Japanese snack subscription box is a gift they'll love to see every month.

Those who have purchased Japan Crate boxes as a gift have found their loved ones highly enjoy trying the snacks and checking out the trinkets that come with the box. Some customers found the snack box and gifted it before trying it, while others began as subscribers who wanted to share the experience as a gift with others. Regardless of the giftee's age or gender, they all enjoyed the box for one reason or another!

What's Inside the Crate? Exploring the Variety of Yummy Treats

Let's dive deeper into what you can expect inside the Japan Crate for this month. Here are a few items you can count on during snacktime with the Box of Love 2.0 crate.

Chiroru Choco (milk)

Chiroru Choco, also known as Tirol Chocolate, is a delicious sweet treat available in many flavors. It's sold in a large pack with individually wrapped smaller chocolates inside. The milk chocolate flavor in this Japan Crate is filled with a creamy white chocolate center. Often popular with school kids, this is one treat that people of all ages will enjoy.

Ichigo Mitsu

You can't get any closer to Valentine's Day in snack form than with this tasty treat! Ichigo Mitsu (meaning dense strawberry in Japanese) is a strawberry chocolate sweet. As its name suggests, it is made with real strawberry powder for a fruity taste. These chocolates come in a fun strawberry shape, making them more exciting to eat. Each Ichigo Mitsu has a creamy chocolate flavor that perfectly compliments the bold, sweet strawberry taste. These chocolates come on sticks, so they're easy to eat on the go without making a mess.

Kit kat Mini Ichigo Gateau Chocolat

You can never have too many Japanese Kit Kats! With this Japan Crate, you can chomp into the yummy Kitkat Mini Ichigo Gateau Chocolat flavor. This flavor features the taste of rich strawberry and chocolate cake and a rum and strawberry filling. The layers of decadent chocolate are separated with crispy wafers. This pack includes mini Kit Kat bars, so you can enjoy them at your own pace.

These are only a few yummy treats you'll find in the January Japan Crate. In previous crates, snacks like Ginza Rusk, a chocolate cake-inspired crispy biscuit, basque cheesecake-flavored Kit Kats, and chocolate-filled crispy taiyaki (fish-shaped goodies). Previous drinks included bottled tea, milk coffee, jelly drinks, and other options.

Subscription and Shipping: Making Japan Crate a Part of Your Monthly Joy 

Getting new snacks delivered to your door monthly through Japan Crate only requires a few steps. First, select the length of time you want to have the subscription (monthly, 3-months, 6-months, or 12-months). Here, you'll also find the price difference depending on the length of time of your subscription. Then, enter your email, address, and payment method. You're set to go!

The shipping process is also quite straightforward. Once your order for the snack subscription box is placed, it gets processed with the Japan Crate team. This can take 3-10 days, depending on the number of orders in the queue. The shipping time is different depending on whether you're receiving the order in the US, Canada, or outside of the US. However, you'll receive a tracking number once the order ships out, so you'll have a better idea of the timeline. As a note, Japan Crate ships out the next box beginning the 10th of the previous month. Any questions on your Japan Crate subscription can be sent via email or a request directly on the website. Expect a response to your query in about 2-3 business days.

Conclusion: The Joy of Receiving a Monthly Box of Japanese Delights

Whether you plan to surprise your loved one with a Valentine 's-themed box or purchase one for yourself this year, you can expect to find a delicious variety of treats inside your box. As expected from the Japan Crate review, your box will arrive in style with a fun Japan Romance theme, brightly colored packaging, and an omamori for extra luck in love. With Japan-exclusive treats and goodies, your partner will truly feel the love this Valentine's Day.

Make snacking and Japanese culture a top priority by subscribing to Japan Crate. With each bite of a new snack, you'll learn more about Japan, from its seasonal ingredients to its annual traditions. Don't forget to read up on the snacks with the provided guide. See what fun, exciting treats you get in your next Japan Crate!